Progressive-velocity ink distribution



H. A. W. WOOD. PROGRESSIVE vELocITY INK DISTRIBUTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. 1918.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I H. A. W. WOOD. PROGRESSIVE VELOCITY INK DISTRIBUTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. I9I8. I 1,354,639. `Patented 00T. 5,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. WISE WOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WOOD NEWSPAPER MACHINERY CORPORATION, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF VIR- GINIA.

PROGRESSIVE-VELOCITY INK DISTRIBUTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

Substitute for abandoned application Serial No. 586,456, led October 11, 1910. This application led March 23, 1918. Serial No. 224,219.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY A. WISE WooD, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Progressive-Velocity Ink Distribution, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to the inking of rotary printing presses. The principal objects of the invention are to provide for supplying ink from a fountain roller running at a low speed to a printing cylinder running at a high speed through a stepped up series of distributing and conveying mechanisms, the rotational velocity of each of which may be constant and uninterrupted; for spreading the ink more efficiently and thoroughly than is done in the present practice, by applying the ink to the several rolls in a thinner lm and then drawing out the lm on the rolls uniformly; also to provide for enabling the ductor roller to perform its function without being subjected to changes in its velocity of rotation, so that the composition ductorroller will not receive the severe usage to which it is commonly subjected. Another object of the invention is to provide for reducing the temperature of the various rollers and cylinders employed in the inking mechanism, including the fountain roller. 'Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter. y

Reference is to be had to the accompanying1 drawings in whichigure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a printing press of the rotary web type showing one form in which the invention can be applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of certain details of construction taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a plan of this portion of the machine.

In the old system the ductor roller, which plies between the fountain roller and the distributing system, must be brought suddenly to a low speed, or to rest, when it contacts with the fountain -roller, and thereafter as suddenly speeded up to the full velocity of the inking mechanism, which may be 800 feet a minute, when it comes in contact with the latter. In this invention the transition from a slowl speed fountain roll to the form rollers is accomplished by gradual stages and is not wholly thrown upon the ductor roller as is at present the case; infact the change of velocity is accomplished between rollers which may be altogether of metal.

The invention is shown as applied to a rotary web printing press having a frame 10 on which is supported an ink fountain 11 contalning a blade 12 for the adjustment of the ink supply and a fountain roller 13 runnlng continuously at a surface speed slower than that of the web. The power may be applied through a sha 14 having a gear 15 for driving two intermediate rolls or cylinders 16 and 17. These, or the shafts on which they are located, are provided with gears 18 which drive two riding rolls 19 and 20. Driven by gearing 21 from the shaft on which the roll or cylinder 17 is mounted is a shaft 22 carrying an ink roll or cylinder 23. rI`he rolls or cylinders 16, 17, 19, 20 and 23 preferably have surfaces which will stand the attrition to which they are subjected, as wood, metal, or other suitable material. The ductor roller and the form rollers 50 are of the usualroller com'- position. The fountain roller 13 is driven by gearing 24 from the shaft 22 on which the ink cylinder is located. Mounted to swing on this shaft is a bell-crank 25 'on one arm of which, is journaled a shaft 26 carrying a ductor roller 27. This arm swings about the shaft 22 of the ink cylinder, so that the ductor roller is always in contact with the ink cylinder. It comes periodically into contact with the fountain roller. v rIhis motion is produced, in the present instance by f shaft 29 driven from the shaft 14 by worms and worm-wheels 30. On each shaft 29 is an eccentric or cam 31 operating a roller 32 on a slide 33. rIhis slide is guided by a guide 34 on the frame to move vertically. It is provided with a series of pin-holes 35 for receiving a pin 36 adapted to engage the other arm 37 of the bell crank 25 and operate it periodically. The weight of the ductor roller 27 normally keeps it in contact with the fountain roller except when the pins 36 press the arms 37 down. The duration of this period of contact depends obviously on the location of the pins 36 in the holes 35.

In order to reduce the heat of the various rollers they are shown as supplied with face.

water, cold air, or any other t,cooling fluid. For this purpose a system of piping 1s shown comprising a supply pipe Ll() provided with 'tending through the riding rollers.

These rolls and cylinders are shown as driven at different velocities. The roll or cylinder 16 preferably rotates at the surface speed of the web, the roll 19 at a lower surface speed, say for instance of the velocity of the web, the roll or cylinder 17 at a lower speed, as that of the web, the roll 20 at a still lower speed, as for example and the ink cylinder 23 at a still lower speed, as for example of the web velocity. The fountain roller 13 runs at the same speed as the ink cylinder 23. In this way it will be seen that ink can be transferred from the fountain roller to the ink cylinder 23 by the ductor roller without change in the velocity of rotation of the latter. It will be seen also that the ink supplied to the ink cylinder 23 is not only spread as usual on the roll 20 by the contact of one surface with another under pressure` but is spread or wire drawn in the direction of its motion by the wiping of the roll over its sur- Thus the ilm of ink is made thinner by pressure than when received` which is usual, and it is also drawn out on the surfaces of these two rotary members. This drawing out process continues progressively as the ink passes along the machine on the successive rolls and cylinders to the form rollers 50 which ink the printing cylinder 51. In view of this action of the surfaces of the rolls and cylinders on each other, the importance of the cooling arrangement will be understood. This wiping action tends to create a slight rise in tem erature. which is counteracted by cooling. r lthough the wiping action does not occur upon the fountain roller, that preferably is cooled in the same way as has been stated above.

It will be obvious that the word roll is used in the specification and claims in a broad sense, to designate cylinders. rollers, and the like.

I have illustrated the several rolls that have progressive velocities as in contact with each other. It will be understood of course that a roll or set of rolls can be introduced between any two of them within the scope of this invention.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention I am aware that 1many modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described, but what I do claim is l. In a printing press, the combination with the form roll and a source of ink supply, of a series of rolls for transferring ink to the form roll, and means for rotating the series of rolls at progressively lower surface speeds from the form roll to 'the source of supply and in the same direction at their points of contact.

2. In an ink transmitting and distributing mechanism, the combination of a series of rotary cylinders and rolls, part of them having surfaces of roller composition and the rest having relatively hard surfaces, with means for rotating each l hard cylinder and roll at a constant velocity, and those near the delivery end of the series at a higher surface .velocity than those near the receiving end, all the progressive increase coming among the hard rolls and cylinders.

3. In a printing press, the combination with the form roller, of an inking roll in.

contact therewith and rotatable at the same surface speed, a second ink roll near the lirst and rotatable at a lower surface speed than said first inking roll, and a riding roll p resting on the two inking rolls andl positively rotatable at an intermediate surface speed.

i. In an inking device, the combination with the fountain roller and ink roll, of a ductor roll constantly in Contact with one of them, means for moving it into and out of contact with the other, means for varying the duration of said contact, a form roller. and intermediate rolls between the form roller and ink roll, said form roller being rotatable at a higher surface velocity than said ink roll, and certain of the intermediate rolls at intermediate surface velocities.

5. In an inking device, the combination with the fountain roller and an ink roll, of a ductor roll, means for moving'the ductor roll around the surface of said ink roll into and out of Contact with the fountain roller, a series of cylinders or rolls in contact with each other, and one in contact with said ink roll, and means for rotating each of said cylinders or rolls at'a surface speed greater than that of the next cylinder or roll toward said ink roll, and than that of said ink roll.

6. In a printing press, the combination with the form roller, of a series of rolls and cylinders for transferring ink thereto, means for rotating each one, except the one next to the form roller, at a speed lower than that of the form roller and than that of the next roll or cylinder between it and the form roller, and means for internally cooling said rolls and cylinders.

7. The method of supplying ink to a printing surface which consists in annlving it in turn to each of a series of rolls in a thin film, drawing out the film on the rolls, and applying the film to the printing surface.

8. The method of supplying ink to a printing surface which consists in applying it in turn to each of a series of rolls in a thin continuous film, uniformly drawing out the film on the surface of the several rolls of the series, and applying it in a continu- 10 ous film to the printing surface.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

iENRY A. WISE woon. 

